A girl’s view of sustainability and social media

Green Window Into the Future

Twitter is great that way. I know of no better forum for validating one’s seemingly universal thoughts and feelings. Yesterday, I got seized with a severe case of eco² panic. Eco like green. Eco like economic. Images of CO2 going nuts, and us still not getting our act together, despite almost daily global warming alerts. And the specter of another Great Depression, only worse this time around.

Thank God, Franke was there to tweet back prompto to shake me up good:

I must say, I felt a bit ashamed for having given into “defeatism”. Imagine if all the citizens voiced out their secret despair as I did. That would be the end of it. Even Bill’s chiming in and lecturing Barack, telling him he’s not hopeful enough. Yes, we can. And we shall. Still, I could not let go completely of the reality of my malaise.

That was a pretty wishy-washy tweet. I wasn’t even sure where I was going with it. Until Franke’s response:

Thank you, Franke for gifting me, us with your such a wonderful image. Now, whenever I start feeling blue, I will imagine a green window, opening to a new landscape of windmills, and solar farms, and electric cars, and workers going about their green jobs . . .

10 Responses

It is indeed a very nice image Franke gave us all. Many thanks to her !🙂

I too have the blues, reading the same articles as you do. Except that in France, things go VERY slowly in the right direction (the Grenelle is a major disappointment, cf. blog).

Concerning your dream of windmills and solar panels, I am not so sure it is what we need today. We would be better starting with massive campaigns of energy efficiency.
cf. my article on the climate change mitigation paradox: http://is.gd/keFJ

We have solutions, let us apply them. President Obama (oh, do I LOVE those two words together😛 ) made a step in the right direction when he wants to insulate 2 millions housings…. but America needs to do 50 times more.

I am confident. We have the right person at the White House. Let us make a Greater Green New Deal to wash away this Greater Depression.

The UN want us to do so. It would save us from further harm after this depression and for the 21st century and beyond.

What a delight and honor to read your post today about our Twitter conversation! Your concerns are so well-founded. We are in unprecedented times and it is worrying. But that is also why it is so exciting. The world is in a mess. The idea that we cannot keep doing what we’ve been doing in the past — unless we want to see the same results — is gaining wide acceptance. We need to change and the change agents are here.

As President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said, “Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things you couldn’t do before.”

Obama sees the green window. We can assess this through what he says and also through the actions he’s initiated in his first 100 days.

We (meaning me and many citizens in the world and not just Americans) have embraced Obama as the world leader who can make change happen. The one who has the common sense and moral fiber to recognize the problems in our economy and in the environment and chart a path for a more sustainable and fairer future.

However we all know that one person — no matter how powerful cannot do it alone. Obama needs foot soldiers like you and me to take personal responsibility for making change happen. In our own lives. In our own communities. We must look inside ourselves and ask what actions we can take that will make a difference. Not just changing lightbulbs but aiming higher. Being ambitious about change. What can we do that will be a little bit hard, but really is no big sacrifice considering what is at stake?

I can’t influence the world at large, but I can influence the people I come in contact with. And I can do my best to correct my bad habits and lead a more sustainable life. So that my children and grandchildren will know that I did not throw up my hands in despair, but took what concrete actions I could to ensure a better future for them.

Thanks for sharing the image you see through your green window, “Now, whenever I start feeling blue, I will imagine a green window, opening to a new landscape of windmills, and solar farms, and electric cars, and workers going about their green jobs . . .”

Wow! Thank you for your inspiration and dedication in writing this blog. You are influencing all of us to change for the better.

Springtime and the sun is shining brighter through this little green window this morning, thank you ladies, and visitors.

One need not be a romantic nor an optimist to visualize the opportunities presented by the forceful nature of economic conditions. We are given another chance to prove that, will trumps habit, bad habits in our case.

Harp as you may, the world is not going to let go of its toys, until it is forced to do so. Each person will come to realize what is most important in their own life.

Wow, I had a parallel discussion on my blog / Web site this morning based on feedback via various social media (but not Twitter). This article requires some close reading for the scientific part, but in the end the article itself is about this: why can’t we pull together instead of bickering. My vote falls on the side of science and the need for urgent action – but at least, those who debate in good faith should keep in mind that we all need to act for the common good. This is not, and never should have been, about political power or money for one individual, one company, or any special interest group.

– Neighborhoods of healthy homes with lush gardens
– Happy people walking, cycling and communicating in public spaces
– Cornerstores with fresh food, full of nutrients and tasty
– Well-funded research institutes discovering new solar technologies that will allow us to live the lifestyle of our dreams without harming the planet (thus eventually ourselves).”

says Anna from Canada, whose real window view is covered in snow, which turns out to be a good canvas for green window visions🙂